Enhanced Curricular HOT Opportunities:are a series of designated time blocks during which the whole school engages in enrichment through curriculum driven arts activities.

Each school develops ECHO blocks in their own way.There is no limit to the creative approaches used to compliment complicated scheduling structures, various age groupings, staffing issues, etc., within a school.A suggested, basic design for ECHOs follows.

A school’s curriculum planning team decides a grand theme, for example, the study of the continent of Europe.

Students are asked what they know and what they would like to know about Europe.

Notes highlighting a compilation of student responses are sent home to parents asking what knowledge or expertise they could lend to the study of Europe - perhaps cooking, dance, music, collected artifacts, etc. in response to student interest.

Teachers, support staff, paras, etc. are all asked to answer the same.

This strategy is highly effective in providing enrichment for ALL students, deepening parent/school partnerships by engaging parents in the learning process in a meaningful way, empowering students through multi-aged groupings, and addressing curricular goals.